The Sino-French Academic Conference on Civilizational Exchange, part of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, was held from Sept 27 to 28 at the école nationale des chartes in Paris.

The two-day conference featured a rich array of topics, including the culture of Chinese local chronicles, classical and modern elements of the medieval West, linguistic modes and cultural constructions of imagery, cultural changes in art history, the universality of Chinese culture and arts, and early civilizational exchanges.

During the opening session, Michelle Bubenicek, director of the école nationale des chartes, emphasized that the humanities are a crucial field for Sino-French academic conference. She noted that cooperation between the two countries encompasses both classical subjects and emerging fields in the digital age, which is highly beneficial for promoting academic development in both nations.

Liu Yuhong, secretary of the Party committee at the Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in his speech that as significant representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, both China and France share a long history and profound cultures. He emphasized the deepened cultural exchanges and strengthened friendship between their peoples, urging for further civilizational exchanges to exemplify harmonious coexistence and mutual benefit among different civilizations.

Zhou Qingfu, president of the Chinese Academy of Art, noted that cultural exchanges between China and France have deepened significantly over the past 60 years, enhancing mutual understanding and contributing to global cultural diversity. He expressed hope for continued collaboration between the academic communities to advance cultural development in both countries and promote world civilization.

This event was jointly organized by the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the école nationale des chartes, the Chinese Academy of Art, and the école normale supérieure in Paris. Nearly 50 scholars from the French National Center for Scientific Research, école normale supérieure, the Center for Cultural Development and Promotion of CASS, and other French and Chinese academic organizations, engaged in in-depth discussions on literature and culture, history, heritage and innovation, civilizational exchange, and language and art during the conference.

Liu Weining contributed to the story.